University of North Carolina at Asheville

Utilizing graduate employability capitals, this article tests an internship program designed to eliminate barriers to access internships and to build college students’ social and cultural capital. The primary components of the program were: 1) financial support, 2) social and cultural capital resources provided by the college and the employer, 3) institutional support during the intern-site matching process, and 4) support to build graduate employability capitals throughout the internship. The program increased students’ social and cultural capital and created a model to improve how colleges share institutional resources with students to improve students’ social mobility.

Objective Climate change is increasingly recognized as a significant public health threat, particularly for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. This study examines the association between heatwave and coldwave exposure and the risk of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) at delivery in North Carolina from 2011 to 2019. Methods We incorporate a matched analysis design using patient delivery data to identify disparities across the rural-urban continuum, measurements of neighborhood racial and economic inequality, geographic region, and sociodemographic groups (age, race/ethnicity, and insurance type). Results We found elevated risks of SMM associated with heatwave and coldwave exposures We observed an increased risk of severe maternal morbidity (SMM20) at delivery following exposure to heatwave (HW RR: 1.07, CI: 1.02 to 1.11) and coldwave (CW RR: 1.05, CI: 1.02 to 1.09) events during the last week of gestation in the advanced maternal age (> 35) subgroup. For coldwaves, the risk of SMM20 was elevated during the last week of gestation in both the western mountains (RR: 1.10, CI: 1.02 to 1.18) and rural (RR: 1.14, CI: 1.01 to 1.29) regions. Hispanic subgroups exhibited elevated SMM risks, particularly during heatwaves (lag0 to lag7, RR: 1.09, CI: 1.00 to 1.18) and coldwaves (lag0 to lag3, RR: 1.10, CI: 1.01 to 1.19; lag0 to lag7, RR: 1.04, CI: 1.00 to 1.07). Conclusion Our findings suggest that extreme temperature events exacerbate vulnerabilities in specific maternal subpopulations, underscoring the need to account for local context and population characteristics in maternal health assessments. Future research should continue to explore these associations and the role of additional environmental and social factors in SMM risk.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00484-025-03079-z.

Feline bordetellosis is a respiratory disease caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, a primary pathogen in domestic cats, dogs, and other species, particularly in densely housed populations. This case report outlines the management of an outbreak of B. bronchiseptica in cats in a suburban, limited-admission animal shelter in the Southeastern United States in October 2023. A group of 43 cats were managed, with 93% (40/43) morbidity and 100% (43/43) live outcomes (adoption) for treated cats. Outbreak management included recognition, case identification, risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment, decontamination, population management, documentation, and communication. The establishment of an offsite isolation facility and targeted treatment based on diagnostic testing were key to timely resolution. With proactive management and in collaboration with shelter medicine specialists, resolution of this outbreak occurred in 45 days.

Telehealth can improve glycemic control for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), but programs must be designed in a manner that facilitates real-world uptake and effectiveness within learning health systems (LHS). To highlight how the Veterans Affairs (VA) LHS supports real-world practice change by examining Advanced Comprehensive Diabetes Care (ACDC), a telehealth program for persistently poor T2D control, in the context of the Learning Health System Consolidated Framework (LHS-CF) taxonomy. Evaluation of program implementation within an LHS. N = 1154 real-world ACDC participants INTERVENTIONS: ACDC is a 6-month program that leverages widely available VA telehealth infrastructure to deliver telemonitoring, self-management support, and medication management. In applying the LHS-CF, we accessed clinical hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) data, examined ACDC encounter completion, and interviewed participants and staff. ACDC's development benefited from LHS-CF Enabling Conditions, including a workforce prepared to engage in structured learning and quality improvement; well-developed clinical data systems; strong VA investments in innovation; and a collaborative culture. Consequently, ACDC has contributed to multiple LHS-CF-aligned Bodies of Work, including building new evidence to improve T2D outcomes; translation of effective, telehealth-based T2D care into practice; authentic engagement of partners; ongoing analyses of data to support effective care; and development of new approaches to foster innovation and improvement. In practice, ACDC has reduced HbA1c from 9.7% at baseline to 8.0% at 6months (-1.7%, 95% CI -1.7, -1.6, p < 0.0001), with retention of this benefit at 4years; the program has been delivered with good fidelity and has been valued by participants and staff. The conditions created by VA's LHS facilitate the development, testing, and implementation of programs like ACDC, which promote further LHS success. As a result of its intentional development within VA's LHS, ACDC is well-positioned to improve outcomes for Veterans with poorly controlled T2D nationwide.

Mechanochemistry, old chemistry with new perspectives,has providedunprecedented opportunities for us to pursue a greener and more sustainablefuture, especially in the exploration of solid-state approaches towardthe synthesis of functional nanomaterials. Chemical aging is anotherenvironmentally benign and low-energy-demand process that could becontrolled precisely with solution environments. In this work, wecombined these two approaches to design a mechanochemistry-drivenand aging-controlled method for synthesizing nonstoichiometric bismuthoxide nanosheets, which demonstrated a great adsorption capacity andphotocatalytic degradation performance toward forever chemicals. Withthorough monitoring of the crystal structure and morphological andsurface composition changes, the strain-to-defect transformationsat the molecular-to-crystal level were proposed to be the dominantgrowth mechanism. The transient strain accumulation and relaxationfrom applied mechanical forces during grinding lead to defect-richmetallic bismuth bulk rod structures. The following chemical delamination,achieved through capping ligands and oxygen exposure during aging,produces defect-rich, nonstoichiometric Bi2O2.33 nanosheet structures. This proof-of-concept synthesis and proposedgrowth mechanism offer a different perspective toward 2D metal oxidenanosheet design and could help us better design a diverse libraryof functional nanomaterials through mechanochemistry and chemicalaging.

ABSTRACT A steep north–south elevational gradient in Nepal supports a diverse freshwater fish fauna ranging from coldwater to tropical species. About 23% of the land area of Nepal is protected, but the conservation of water resources and aquatic species, which provides critical ecosystem services, has yet to be a primary goal. Threats to native fishes include habitat alteration, nonnative species, dams, unregulated exploitation, and climate change. Additionally, the fishes of Nepal are undersampled and inadequately known, with high levels of taxonomic uncertainty, potential cryptic species, and species that are likely unknown to science. Opportunities for effective conservation of native fish biodiversity are emerging, however, and center on the co-production of knowledge and co-development of conservation strategies with local communities. A multifaceted approach that integrates conservation with sustainable development is needed to protect Nepal's unique ichthyofauna and to promote a sustainable future for aquatic resources that are crucial to Nepal's ecology, economy, and culture.